At the 2023 Screen Actors Guid Awards, Sam Elliott won for his role as Shea Brennan in 1883. He took home an award in the Best Actor in Television Movie or a Limited Series category, and called the honor “the most meaningful acknowledgement of my 55-year career.”
In his acceptance speech, Elliott said, “I’m honored and grateful to be in your company, whether in this audience or at home. After seeing the work of my fellow nominees, I’m not sure I should be standing up here, but I’m sure I’ll get over that.”
He then spoke of his work on 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone, saying of his new award, “I’m gonna treasure this guy, this gal, because it comes from all of you, my brothers and sisters from SAG-AFTRA. I’ll treasure it as a constant reminder of 1883 and what a gift it was for all of us on both sides of the camera.”
In 1883, Elliott starred as wagon train leader Shea Brennan, as the Dutton family travel from Fort Worth, Texas into the Great Plains in the show. He starred alongside Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Isabel May.
“To my incredible cast mates,” Elliott continued in his acceptance speech, “there’s a piece of this for all of you. Not only for who you are but your beautiful work that helped me find the way. I love you all for that.”
He ended by thanking the 1883 team and his family:
“Thank you Taylor Sheridan for your brilliant script, and David Glasser, and everyone else at 101. Thank you to Paramount, thank you to my team, David, Laura, and Becca, and thank you to my wife, my beautiful Katharine, my partner through thick and thin, and the mother of our beautiful daughter. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.”